Hemlock Wooly Adelgid Infestation

in

The Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest

and

The USDA Forest Service's Suppression Effort
Winter 2007 Update

The May 2005 edition of the Georgia Mountaineer contained an article entitled "Hemlock Wooly Adelgid and Suppression". That article was also posted on GATC's Web site at http://www.georgia-atclub.org/hemlock_files/hemlock_infest.html. You may wish to refer to either of those documents in conjunction with reading this one.

The Forest Supervisor, Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest (C-ONF), issued a Decision Notice and Finding of No significant Impact in August 2005 after review of the Environmental Assessment prepared for the Hemlock Woolly Adelgid (HWA) suppression effort proposed for the C-ONF. In effect, this was a decision to conduct biological and/or chemical suppression efforts at approximately 140 locations on the C-ONF, both inside and outside designated wilderness areas. Biological suppression is the release of a small beetle that feeds exclusively on HWA. Chemical suppression is the use of an insecticide.

The propagation of the infestation in and around the AT corridor has been southward. As of November 2006, infestation had been found as far south in the corridor as the Gooch Gap area. The propagation rate is greater in warmer climates than it is further north. It occurs in the spring and fall. Anticipation is that by the end of 2007, HWA will have spread to the Three Forks area where the AT crosses Forest Service Road 58 in the Ed Jenkins National Recreation Area..

HWA affects both eastern and Carolina hemlocks. It is the eastern hemlock (Tsuga Canadensis) that is of primary concern for Georgia, as no Carolina hemlocks are known to exist in the C-ONF. Both types of hemlocks have been impacted terribly in the Appalachian Mountains to our north. In the Tsuga Search section of the Eastern Native Tree Society Web Site, http://www.nativetreesociety.org/ , you will find some disturbing photos taken last year in the Great Smokey Mountains National Park.

The onset of death of hemlocks after HWA infestation is, like the propagation of infestation, more rapid the further south HWA spreads. Hemlocks are dying in the northeastern area of the C-ONF, and most could be gone by the end of this decade.

The Forest Service is now actively engaged in both chemical and biological treatment of hemlocks in the 140 Hemlock Conservation Areas (HCA). Trees treated with insecticides are tagged to indicate that. You will find aluminum tagged hemlocks in non-wilderness areas, and brass tagged trees in the wilderness.

The biological suppression in the C-ONF is now benefiting from the production of predatory beetles at 2 rearing laboratories actually located in Georgia. One is on the campus of the University of Georgia in Athens (UGA), and the other is at Young Harris College (YHC) (see http://www.fs.fed.us/conf/press/20060327-bt-hwa-trtmnt.htm). Efforts are being made to bring a third lab on line at North Georgia College and State University. Previously, C-ONF relied on beetles reared at a lab at Clemson University. The HWA infestation problem is so large and so severe, that there probably cannot be enough sources of predatory beetles.

While government agencies, the USDA Forest Service, The Georgia Department of Natural Resources, the Georgia Forestry Commission and the University of Georgia were vital participants in establishing the labs, the real driving forces were environmental organizations, and in the case of Young Harris College's facility, a single individual.

Georgia ForestWatch initially spearheaded the effort to raise money for the UGA lab. They were joined by the Georgia Conservancy, the Georgia Wildlife Federation, the Georgia Chapter of the Sierra Club, Upper Chattahoochee River Keeper, and Lumpkin Coalition (Hemlockfest organizers and an independent fund raiser). Other organizations, including GATC, and many individuals made contributions. The Turner Foundation has recently approved a matching funds grant of $75,000 to assist the UGA lab over its first three years of operation.

At YHC, biology professor Dr. Paul Arnold single handedly started a small beetle-rearing lab. Beetle and egg releases were made on 14 HCA's in the National Forest in 2006 with production from that facility. One of these was along Slaughter Creek, HWA #71. A second release on HWA #71 has been made in February 2007. The Slaughter Creek Trail is maintained by GATC, and hemlocks in and near the AT corridor there have been known to be infested for about a year. Dr. Arnold has plans and support for tripling the size of the YHC operation later this year, is employing some students on a part time basis, and is recruiting volunteer help.

If you are interested in this campaign to save the hemlocks, consider making a contribution(s) to one or both of the 2 organizations that have set up accounts to receive funds for the UGA lab and/or to Young Harris College, which has a dedicated account for their lab. Addresses and Web links are given below:

Georgia ForestWatch

15 Tower Road

Ellijay, GA 30540

http://www.gafw.org/

Lumpkin Coalition

3865 Dawsonville Highway

Dahlonega GA 30533

http://www.lumpkincoalition.org/

Dr. Paul T. Arnold

P.O. Box 68, 1 College St.

Young Harris College

Young Harris, GA 30582

http://www.yhc.edu/advancement/paularnold.html

Please be sure to designate any contributions as for 'HWA Suppression'. Checks for YHC should be to 'Young Harris College' and marked 'Hemlock Project' Thank you!

Dr. Arnold's call for volunteer help also represents an opportunity for you to contribute to the suppression effort. Some training is going to be necessary, and Dr. Arnold has agreed to provide that. A copy of this article along with Updates from YHC Beetle Lab is to be posted on the GATC Web Site. The updates describe in detail the volunteer opportunities. Briefly, they include food stock gathering , lab work and monitoring.

A special appeal is made to GATC Section Overseers with Hemlock Conservation Areas (HCA) in, adjacent to, or near their sections. You frequent those parts of the National Forest, and can provide a valuable monitoring function. Training will be necessary. See http://www.fs.fed.us/conf/sopa/forest-health-nepa.htm, and under Forest-wide Projects, there are links to a map of the HCA's and the EA mentioned earlier.

There is one large HWA, #84 (132 acres) in the Blackwell Creek area and a very large one, #88 (1,078 acres) in the Three Forks area that are believed to not be invested at the beginning of 2007. Anticipation is that both these areas will be infested by the end of the year. The AT passes through #88 as it follows Stover and Long Creeks.

Assisting in the suppression effort as a volunteer is consistent with GATC's mission. The Appalachian Trail Conservancy has approved GATC members submitting their volunteer hours spent in this effort for Appalachian Trail Volunteer recognition awards.

If you have any questions or want additional information contact conservation@georgia-atclub.org and include 'HWA' in the subject line.